Hulk
Powers and Abilities Powers Gamma Radiation Physiology: Due to Bruce Banner being exposed to the Gamma Bomb's radiation and the later results arising from Banner's ensuing capacity to transform into a powerful monster,36 the Incredible Hulk is one of the physically strongest and resilient beings in the Marvel Universe, with the potential for limitless strength, stamina, durability, healing and adaptation. The Hulk holds the potential to truly be "The strongest one there is" (barring some exceedingly powerful beings), since his known strength level ranges beyond the limits of virtually any other known humanoid being.3262 The gamma radiation mutated his body and fortified his cellular structure, adding over 800 lbs of bone marrow and muscle tissues to his body,327 causing a corresponding escalation of brute strength, which also increases in exact proportion to his adrenaline level. Thus, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.328326 Moreover, the Hulk was stated to be an Omega Level Threat by both the Initiative329 and Mister Fantastic,330and even "the Original Omega Level Threat" by Gyrich.331 At one point, the Hulk was stated to be the strongest hero in the world.305 Nick Fury's intel also classified him as Power Level 10+332 and as the Merged Hulk he was described as part of the Omega-class entities by Doctor Octopus.333 Transformation: The process by which Banner usually transforms into the Hulk is presumably the result of the chemical catalyst, adrenaline (a.k.a. epinephrine). As in normal human beings, Banner's adrenal medulla secretes large amounts of adrenaline in time of fear, rage, or stress, which hormonally stimulates the heart rate, increases blood-sugar levels, and inhibits sensations of fatigue. Whereas the secretion heightens normal physical abilities in normal human beings, in Banner's case it triggers the complex chemical-extra-physical process that transforms him into the Hulk. The total time of transformation falls anywhere between seconds to five minutes, depending on the initial adrenaline surge, which will be determined by the original stimulus. Soon after the transformation, the amount of adrenaline in the Hulk will return to more normal, reduced levels. However, there have been instances in which Banner became the Hulk without any discernible increase in heart rate or adrenal levels, suggesting that the true trigger mechanism into the Hulk is far more psychological than physical. When the Hulk transforms back into Banner, the excess muscle mass and energy is lost, presumably to the same place he derives it. As the Hulk's transformation is mostly a stress reaction, it is virtually impossible to attack, wound or sedate him in his human form without the Hulk erupting almost instantaneously in self-defense.211 Unlimited Strength: The Hulk possesses the capacity for essentially limitless physical strength.622696777207270271272 In effect, upon actually estimating the Hulk's raw potential, the cosmic entity Beyonderstated outright that the Hulk's strength is intrinsically limitless. The Hulk's uttermost potential is indeed unlimited.269 This statement has also been endorsed by the cosmic entity Stranger upon probing Hulk's capability.77Most recently, the Hulk's boundless strength was further supported by the Mad Thinker's calculations, which were unable to probe it.207 Moreover, the Hulk's maximum strength output has also been consistently classified as power without defined limits.273 However, each of the primary Hulk's personalities possess a base strength level. While functionally calm, the Gray Hulk or Joe Fixit is the weakest whereas the incarnation commonly referred to as the "Green Scar" is the physically strongest of all primary Hulk's incarnations. After being exposed to the energies from the exploding core of the ship that originally brought the Hulk to Sakaar, the Green Scar's base strength level was dramatically increased. The "Immortal Hulk" is also substantially stronger than most incarnations and presumably rivals the Green Scar. However, while in an enraged state, adrenaline surges through the Hulk's body, magnifying his extraordinary strength drastically beyond his standard levels. The Hulk's immeasurable strength is directly proportional to his level of rage, excitement, and stress. The Hulk also grows stronger the more radiation 274275276277 and dark magic 278279 he catalyzes. Finally, as Amadeus Cho theorizes, Bruce Banner subconsciously restrains the Hulk's maximum potential because he quantifies and calculates the external variables so that the Hulk could never hurt someone. Cho corroborates his thesis with a logical analysis of all the Hulk's historical conflicts.280 However, if the suppression of Banner's restrictions occurs, the Hulk can neutralize this limitation, such as when he becomes the Worldbreaker.250 The Hulk has also performed impressive feats of strength in his career. The Hulk can inhale great quantities of air for several effects. For example, he can expel the air at enormous speeds to knock down forests 286 and armed troops.37This resource also enables the Hulk to defeat several superhuman opponents, such as the Mister Fantastic.287 The Hulk can slam his hands together to create a tremendously powerful sonic vibration that propagates through the air and has been compared to the strongest hurricane in history.288 This thunderclap has been powerful enough to disperse Sandman's attacks96 and severely debilitate the Red Hulk.249 The Hulk can also hit the ground with his hands or legs to create violent tremors that thwart opponents289 and destroy structures,109 being able to produce destructive shockwaves by stomping his foot.263 He can also create shock waves by simply snapping his fingers with enough power to shatter glass jars.240 Superhuman Stamina: The Hulk's body counteracts fatigue poisons that build up in his muscles during physical activity. In fact, the Hulk was capable to leap endlessly during an entire day without showing any signs of fatigue.319 In an enraged state, the Hulk is capable of exerting himself at peak physical capacity for several weeks before fatigue begins to really affect him.339 However, just like his vast physical strength, the Hulk's stamina does increase as he becomes angrier.340 In an enraged state, the Hulk was even able to successfully stalemate the warrior's madness Thor (a state which temporarily enhances Thor's strength and stamina to 10 times that of his normal state in exchange for adversely affecting his intelligence).312 The Hulk's stamina has also been described as almost unlimited.341 Invulnerability: In addition to immense strength, the Hulk's body possesses a high degree of resistance to physical injury. The Hulk has survived tremendous amount of punishment throughout his career. The Hulk's skin is impervious to conventional blades, Adamantium and Vibranium being strictly the few known metals that can effectively pierce and penetrate his skin. The Hulk was even able to excerpt Adhesive X from his body without any injury.328 This invulnerability extends to the optic system since bullets,342grenade shrapnel,343 Hawkeye's arrows,344 and even the Valkyrie's enchanted blade Dragonfang345 did not penetrate nor damage it. The Hulk is capable to withstand high caliber bullets, powerful energy blasts, pressures extremes, falls from orbital heights,346347338283 maximized heat without blistering, maximized cold without freezing, and also massive impacts. The Hulk has withstood several times the impact of ground zero nuclear explosions,10334851129349350 the Human Torch's Nova Blast,351276228with a maximum temperature of one million degrees Fahrenheit, and also the crushing pressures of 100Gs 62without suffering damage or harm. In fact, when the Maestro's Dog O' War, a robot claimed to be able to crush Adamantium in its jaws in 7.3 seconds, had Hulk's exposed neck in its jaws, it was unable to even lacerate his skin before being ripped apart.352 In another monumental example of his durability, the Hulk even withstood being subjected to a mechanism capable to easily soften and manipulate Adamantium.207 The Hulk was also able to withstand a planet-devastating impact,274 a planet-shattering impact at point blank range,298 the Galaxy Master's planet-destroying strongest attacks,353 and a mighty blast from Galactus.354 The Hulk even withstood energy calculated as over 100 times more powerful than the Hercules' strongest blows.355 The Hulk also withstood a few of the incredibly powerful blows from Zeus when relatively calm.356 The Hulk's vast durability, much like his strength, is fueled by rushes of adrenaline while angry.340 This is also exemplified when Wolverine stated during World War Hulk that Hulk's skin was harder to damage.277 Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite the Hulk's high resistance to physical harm, it is possible to cause the Hulk injury. However, the Hulk is capable of regenerating damaged or destroyed areas of his entire body with much greater speed and efficiency than an ordinary human. In fact, the Hulk was able to systematically regenerate his internal organs and tissues in an alternate reality.357 He was also able to literally rip off a large fraction of his head allowing it to completely regrow.358 In a notorious episode, the Maestro persona molecularly rebuilt his body after being atomized.359 The Hulk also demonstrated his exceptional healing capacity when, during a battle with Vector, all of his skin and most of his muscle mass were extracted from his body. The Hulk regained his mass and healed within only seconds.360 Even the Omega-Level biokinetic Elixir's death touch could only retard him temporarily.247 Most extreme depictions of his healing factor also include reintegrating members isolated from his body.240 The Hulk's regenerative factor also enables him to resist to physical transmutations.361362363288277 Additionally, the Hulk heals faster and more extensively the madder he gets.340 For example, Carmilla Black once injected into Hulk's body a chemical substance that counteracts his healing factor. Amadeus Cho then caused the Hulk to get enraged enough for his immune system to repel the substance.280 Combined with the Hulk's superhuman durability, it makes him exceedingly difficult to defeat or incapacitate, as noted by Wolverine during their second battle.340 * Disease Immunity: The Hulk is completely invulnerable to all known Earth-based diseases and viruses, including AIDS.364365 He can operate under intense conditions for prolonged periods of time due to his body not developing fatigue toxins quickly. * Decelerated Aging: For all intents and purposes the Hulk lives indefinitely. Because of an enhanced regenerative healing factor, derived from the properties of gamma energy that empowers him, Hulk has a prolonged lifespan. A possible future persona, the Maestro, was in his physical prime despite being over one hundred years old.352 In another alternate future it is implied that the Hulk's body effectively lasts forever.357 * Retroactive Immortality: For all intents and purposes the Hulk cannot permanently die. The exact nature of this ability is unknown. However, it is suggested that, every time the Hulk or Banner is killed since the day that Banner was hit with the Gamma Bomb, a metaphorical "door" is opened that allows one of the two to "walk through" in order to successfully enable their resurrection. It is suggested that it is the Hulk who walks through, as Banner would rather be at peace than be revived as the Hulk. It is also suggested that damaging the hypothalamus, an area in the forebrain which controls the nervous system as well as emotions, can effectively kill the Hulk, but the attempts to perform this action have been interrupted by outside interference from those preferring to use the Hulk for their nefarious purposes.233Following his resurrection by the Challenger,231 if Banner should die, he would self-resurrect by transforming into the Hulk at nightfall.236 Superhuman Speed: Regardless of his size, Hulk's superhumanly strong legs allow him to run at speeds that are well beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. In fact, the Hulk's speed is so relatively high that, while tunneling underground from Subterranea to California, the Avengers feared that the Hulk could fracture the San Andreas fault line in a matter of few hours.110 In an excellent display of increased velocity, the Hulk easily outperformed an aircraft while on land.209 Hulk's astronomical speed extends to his jumps, what allowed him to pursue and reach a space missile.7 The Hulk also possesses immense swimming speeds as well. He has been clocked to be swimming at 80 knots,281 and has even matched Namor's underwater speed,101 even while Namor was moving quickly enough to produce a whirlpool,82 much to the Atlantean king's surprise. Referring to the Hulk's formidable speed, Banner pondered that the Hulk is able to run at eye-blurring speeds and swim fast enough to build propulsion.254 The Hulk has been fast enough to several times capture mortar shells and missiles shot at him.320366 The Hulk has also eventually been recognized to be extremely agile proportionally to his size.3812965319367325 In fact his spectacular reflexes have even been described as "lightning-fast reflexes".368144 More examples of Hulk's prodigious reaction time include easily catching the Captain America's shield throw,369 pursuing and touching the Silver Surfer while he was maneuvering at supersonic speeds,79 hit Spider-Man despite Peter's remarkable reflexes (while restraining himself against much weaker opponents),370371372 easily dodge bullets and missiles shot from a short distance away,115373 effortlessly capture a bullet in his teeth while transforming,374 and also regularly match beings with virtually unparalleled combat speed such as Gladiator,375 Sentry,182 and the Silver Surfer.376 (who would hold back solely offensively, for the Hulk actually hurt or has the potential to eventually hurt them) Reactive Adaptation: There were several events in the past where the Hulk not only faced extended periods of time in oxygen-deprived outer space without suffocating, but he also frequently spoke in these inhospitable habitats. It was theorized by Nick Fury that the Hulk could adapt to the environment of space as an inherent property of his mutation. He based this thesis on accumulated data about the Hulk.377 For example, Hulk can harmonize his biological structure with the depths of the ocean.378 Fury's hypothesis has been confirmed, since it was stated that the Hulk can adapt to any environment, even airless space.379 Therefore this evidences that the Hulk could adapt to a wide diversity of hostile habitats. It is plausible that this ability is enhanced and amplified by the Hulk's rage. Accordingly, it has also been stated that the Hulk does not always need to breathe.211 * Underwater Breathing: The Hulk has been on the ocean floor a number of times. The Hulk is able to breathe due to his body developing a gland which creates an oxygenated perfluorocarbon emulsion which fills his lungs and equalizes the pressure.120131 He is therefore able to breathe fluid and avoid decompression and nitrogen narcosis. Astral Form Perception: The Hulk has the unique ability of being able to see "astral forms," or ghosts,388 and even physically interact with them.389 This power has come in handy when working with his fellow Defender, Doctor Strange, who is able to leave his body in an usually invisible, ghost-like state better known as an astral form. Bruce Banner subconsciously feared his father's ghost would come back to haunt him, and so the Hulk developed this mechanism to allow him to look out for him. More recent events have shown that the power to see astral forms may now extend to Bruce Banner. However, it was suggested the clarity of the astral forms is diminished when compared to the Hulk's ability to view them. The Hulk's ability to see astral forms may go beyond just seeing individual spirits. The Hulk once experienced a whole town in the middle of the desert that then faded away into nothing. While it is possible it was merely a mirage, it is possible the Hulk was able to see a town that did not exist in our plane of reality that no one else could see. Homing Ability: The Hulk also has a seemingly mystical homing ability that enables him to locate the area in New Mexico where Banner first became the Hulk.153 This applies even if the Hulk is in another dimension. An image of the Maestro once explained to Bruce that the reason he was able to do that was because the Maestro's spirit was there, calling to him.359 However, since the time Maestro was resurrected, the Hulk has continued to return to the gamma bomb site, suggesting that there is more to his ability than merely the Maestro's spirit. This homing ability has also been used to find people on rare occasions. For example, the Hulk was able to dig a tunnel underground exactly in the direction of Onslaught.390 While it is possible that Onslaught was mentally leading the Hulk to him, there were other instances of the Hulk demonstrating this ability. The Hulk's instincts led him to Rick Jones 391 and Betty 392 and the Hulk located the Abomination with no prior knowledge of his whereabouts.393 The Hulk was also able to know that the Vision was approaching while inside an underground tunnel, even though he could neither hear nor see the intangible Avenger's approach.110 Gamma Radiation/Energy Manipulation and Emission: Not usually a power associated with the Hulk, but there is enough evidence that Hulk possesses at least a limited ability to manipulate forms of energy, particularly gamma radiation. The Hulk's body works like a "gamma battery" by constantly creating and radiating gamma energy.84 The troyjan emperor Armageddon once wanted to employ the Hulk's own gamma radiation to capacitate machines to revive his dead son again. However, the Hulk outsmarted him by consciously force feeding his energy into these machines at a rate too fast for them to handle, and they promptly overloaded and exploded.394 The Hulk also generated massive amounts of gamma radiation during World War Hulk,182 and produced considerable quantity while in the Dark Dimension.250 The Hulk has also shown the ability to redirect gamma rays unleashed towards him. When the Avengers used the Gammatron Bombarder device on him, the Hulk deflected the blast at the device and destroyed it.110 Hulk is also able to absorb gamma energy. As Bruce Banner, he absorbed the tremendous amount of energy stored aboard the Intelligencia's Helicarrier.196 As the Hulk, he has demonstrated the ability to absorb gamma radiation as he drained the second Red Hulk of his gamma energy.234 The exact extent to which the Hulk controls his own gamma radiation, and also extrinsic sources of gamma radiation, has yet to be established. Abilities Super-Genius Intelligence: Doctor Bruce Banner is a super-genius in nuclear physics,395 possessing a mind so brilliant that it cannot be measured by any known intelligence test.396 Hence he is capable of extraordinary feats of intellect, such as to process and operate thousands of data to reconfigure an advanced and especially sophisticated computer system (intended to be used to rule the world)397 in a matter of seconds.398In effect, Banner even accomplished to infect a computer system with a virus which even Tony Stark, employing his skills, was unable to counteract.399 Banner is regarded by Tony Stark as the greatest nuclear scientist on Earth.139 Banner also has expertise in the fields of engineering400 and biology.401 He was once referred as the fourth smartest person on the planet.189 Master Combatant: The Hulk is a skillful and capable warrior, demonstrating vast versatility and intuition in the battle, like anticipating and exploiting the weakness of Hyperion.402 The Hulk has consistently faced warriors with millennial experience in combat, such as Thor.403307309 As the Green Scar, he has had training in multiple combat arms, including broadswords, spears, and battle shields.404 As Doc Green, he received martial arts training from the expert martial artist Daniel Rand.218 Self-Restraint: When Banner is the Hulk he can influence the Hulk's behavior to a limited extent. However, recent facts indicate that Banner subconsciously restrains the Hulk.161280250282405 For example, the Hulk asked for Jean Grey to psionically shut Bruce Banner off so that the Hulk's sheer power could be unleashed against the threat of Onslaught. In another occasion, Iron Man has also deduced that Bruce Banner exerts a moderating influence on the Hulk.325 Multilingual: Banner has learned Russian while getting his Ph.D.382 He also speaks Austro-Bavarian.398 Weaknesses Gamma Radiation Draining: The Hulk is sometimes portrayed as vulnerable to gamma radiation draining by sufficiently powerful energy manipulators.410411 However, the Hulk is eventually characterized as possessing high degree of immunity to this weakness.412 For example, the mutant Darwin was unable to drain his gamma radiation, and Hulk deliberately transferred his energy into an entire race of absorbing entities without collapsing. Even previous to these events the Hulk has displayed this potential. For example, the hero Rom was unable to cure Banner from his condition, and the Hulk intentionally overloaded the Armageddon absorption mechanism. Rage Nullification: The Hulk's rage also can be neutralized; certain individuals can calm the Hulk down. Betty Ross126 and Sentry40 successfully calmed the Hulk down in several instances. Telepaths with vast empathy potential can theoretically emulate this effect. The Inhuman Randall Jessup's ability to siphon away negative emotions makes him a particularly effective deterrent to the Hulk's rage factor.420